There is evidence that investigation of the carotid arteries, the two major blood vessels supplying the head and neck, and the aorta, the large vessel that leaves the heart and provides branches that supply the rest of the body, may help detect small defects that are currently ‘silent’ but potentially life threatening. The carotid arteries often contain small plaques that are associated with clot formation and stroke whilst the aorta may have a weak spot known as an aneurysm that can rupture without warning. Screening for these potentially treatable conditions is largely limited to patients considered high risk but such problems can affect anyone.

Healthcare statistics suggest this is an area that requires urgent assessment and consideration as it could save thousands of lives each year.

If you have been on a long haul flight and you are worried you could possible have a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), we can perform an ultrasound scan to exclude a DVT.

We offer ultrasound scans of the carotid arteries and aorta to screen for vascular disease.

An ultrasound examination is a painless medical examination which uses soundwaves to “see” inside the body. No radiation is used in ultrasound. A transducer (which is like a small microphone) is placed over the area of the body being examined. Soundwaves pass through the skin from the transducer and echoes are reflected back to it. Those echoes are converted into electrical signals which can then be viewed as images on a television screen.